Self-winding fog signal



M. F. WILLOUGHBY SELF WINDING FOG SIGNAL Filed Aug. 16, 1923 Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

MALCOLM F. WILLOUGHBY, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SELF-WINDING FOG SIGNAL.

Application filed August 16,

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, MALCOLM F. VVIL- LOUGHBY, citizen of the United States, and resident of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Winding Fog Signals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the automatic winding of fog signals such as are used on the sea coast to automatically warn against fog. I-Ieretoforeit has been the practice to have such winding performed by an attendant who is supposed to visit one or more of these signals at regular intervals for that purpose. H

\Vhile it has been proposed to keep such signals wound by the action of the waves, nevertheless, such proposed means have not gone into use, because the necessary protection required against the destructive action of the surf so diminishes the wave course as to make it unavailable particularly in time of fog when almost always the sea is comparatively still or level.

The expense and difiiculty of maintaining the necessary attendance, particularly upon isolated or remote portions of the sea coast, has heretofore prevented the use of such fog signals in many localities where they are highly desirable. My present invention is intended to provide a simple reliable winding mechanism of the type which can be adequately protected by break-water or otherwise from the destructive action of the surf, and which shall require no attendance to maintain it in normaloperation. In its general features it comprises a tidal reservoir arranged sufiiciently below high tide level to ensure its being filled at high tide, provided with a valve-discharge outlet opening into a valve-controlling well in which is mounted a traveling bucket or receptacle havingoperative connection with any appropriate form of fog-signaling device so that it will be raised to filling position by the-normal Operation of h Signaling vice-and when filled through a valve-con trolled discharge outlet in the reservoir will descend under the influence of gravity, thereby winding up the fog-signaling mechanism until it reaches the bottom of its traverse when its liquid content is dis charged.

These and other features of the invention will be explained in the following specifi- 1923. Serial N0. 657,696.

cation and will be defined in the claims hereto annexed.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated the simple embodiment of the principles of my invention, in which:

Figure 1 shows in elevation a conventional form of signaling mechanism combined with. my improved automatic winding mechanism shown in vertical section.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the winding mechanism.

Figure 3 is a detail showing the valved lower end of the counterweight well.

Figure l is a side elevation showing the upper portion of the counterweight well and its receptacle in its relation to the valve end of the tidal reservoir which supplies the water for the operation of the device. U

Figure 5 is a detail view in front elevation showing the actuating pulley and its connection with an actuating weight and the tidal-control winding mechanism.

The details of construction of the signaling device form no part of the present invention since existing types of fog-signaling devices may be employed for this purpose. In the present instance I have merely shown in outline a supporting framework 1, for carrying the counterweight cord 2, of an actuating weight 3 wound on a drum l. having any. suitable or known connection with a striker arm 5, arranged to strike a bell 6, at regular intervals in order to give the audible signals, but it will be understood that any practical form of signaling mechanism may be utilized for this purpose.

About the actuating drum 4, is wound a winding cord 7, in a direction reverse to the weight-supporting cord 2 of the signaling mechanism so that, as the weight 3 de scends, it unwinds the weight cord 2, from the drum causing a counterclockwise rotation thereof (according to Figure l) and at the same time winding up on the drum the winding cord or cable 7, as indicated irths "Q ..i fI 'B reverse movement of the cord 7 will up the cord 2' and raise tlielweight 3 to a.

position to allowthe weight to begin other downward traverse for the purpose of actuating the signal. 7 H w h I Somewhat below the level of normal tide I locate a reservoir 10, provided with an intake or filling orifice11, at or near its" top and also provided at or near its bottom with a discharge orifice or outle't' con- Obvi' oluslygthel isa trolled by a float valve 12 whose stein U projects downwardly some distance into a valve well 1 which is extended downwardly to a distance slightly above low tide level, and which has a closed bottom 15, provided with a discharge orifice normally closed except at low stages of the tide by means of a float valve 16.

The float valve 16 is guided in its upward closing movement and its downward opening movement by suitable guide arms or brackets 1i attached to the lower end of the well and projecting around and underneath the float valve 16 so as to protect itand guide it in operative position. For clearness of understanding dotted line a indicates substantially the nori'nal high tide level while dotted line indicates the normal level of low tide. To give greater stbility the lower part of the well 14 is extended laterally to give it an approximate T shape with horizontal wings 14, resting on suitable supports on the sea bottom. The well may also be provided with stays or cables 18 to mtaintain it rigidly in position and its uppermost extension is provided with a protective hood 19 whose inner face is left open to afford a vent for the valve well 14. An intermediate partition 20, adjacent to the bottom of the well, is provided with. an opening covered by a grating or network 21 arranged in the path of the descending bucket or counterweight receptacle 22.

The counterweight receptacle 22 has at its top a transverse bail 23, to which is secured the lower end of the winding cord 7, which passes over a sheaf or pulley 7 arranged in a cable chamber on the top of the reservoir whence the cord is carried to the winding drum 4:, as above explained. The cord or cable 7 passes through a tubular passage 10" inserted between the bot tom and top of the reservoir 10. but having no communication with its interior. A protective hood 10 protects that portion ol the winding cable or cord. issuing from the -able chamber 10. Preferably the openings exposed to the exterior body 0t water are covered with grating to prevent the en.- trance of toreign objects Floating in the sea water.

In the bottom of the counterweight or winding receptacle 22 is provided a discharge outlet in which is located a closure or valve 24: having a downwardly extending elongated stem 25. The bucket filling valve 12, is surrounded with suitable guides 12 and similarly, the biicket-dischaiging valve 24: is surrounded with guides 26 so as to provide for a substantial length of of the valves.

The device, it will be seen, does not depend upon wave action at all but depends upon the semi-diurnal rise and tall of the traverse:

tide level. Assuming now that the water is at low or ebb tide and the fog signal ing mechanism has been wound up until its actuating weight 3 stands at the top of its traverse in which position the winding counterweight receptacle 22 will rest at the bottom or the well, it s discharge valve being raised to open position by contact against the grating 21. when in such lowermost position. The tidal reservoir 10 contains a substantial supply of water admitted through the grated intake opening 11. At this stage the actuating weight Sr considerably ovcrloalances the empty bucket or receptacle 22 and therefore, continues to descend actuating the signaling mechanism as it does-so. As the actuating weight approaches the bottom of its traverse, the counterweight receptacle 22 approaches the top of its traverse in the well 12, until its hail 23, or any appropriate part, comes in contact with the stem 13 of the valve 12. From that point the continued upward traverse ot the weight receptacle, under the in'thience of the actuating weight 3, raises or opens the valve 12 and allows a portion of the water in the reservoir 10 to dis charge into the receptacle 22. This results in gradually checking the upward movement of the receptacle 22 and the downward movement of the weight 3, until sufiicient water has been discharged into the receptacle or bucket to overbalance the actuating weight 3 sufficiently to cause the bucket to descend and the actuating weight to rise. movement is of course, very slow and as the valve stem permits a substantial length of traverse of the valve, additional water keeps flowing into the bucket until it has descended "tar enough to allow the valve to close. This continued discharge of liquid atterthe conterbalancing stage has been reached, serves to ensure the reliability oi action of the apparatusm This descent of the bucket continues until its discharge valve stem meets the obstruction formed by the grating 21. by which the further downward movement of the valve 24 is prevented, while the continued downward traverse of the bucket results in uncovering the discharge orifice and allowing the water content to discharge until the bucket content becomes enough lighter than the actuating weight 3. which has been raised to the top of its traverse, to allow the actuating weight to once more function in its two-told operation of actuatingsignaling' mechanism and of raising the counterweight bucket. This upward movement or the bucket at first proceedsat avery slow rate thereby giving time owing to the length of the traverse to permit its discharge valve to discharge a substantial fur ther quantity of water so as to again en- The first part of this descendingloo lEu

ill

sure reliability of action of the apparatus. The water discharged from the bucket runs into the lateral wings l t at the bottom of the well from which it is discharged when the tide level is low enough to allow the float valve 16, to drop to discharge position.

\Vhen the tide has raised to some intermediate level such, for example, as indicated in Figure 1, the fiat valve 16, seals the discharge opening in the bottom of the well so as to prevent the rising tide from tilling the well which filling of the well, it will be seen, would result in preventing the downward movement of the counterbalanced bucket.

is often, therefore, as the actuating weight approaches the lower limit of its traverse the winding mechanism is brought into eti'ective operation to raise the actuating weight to its uppermost position, whether at that particular time the tide be high or low or at some intermediate level, the tidal reservoir being proportioned in relation to the bucket capacity to amply supply the requisite amount of liquid to rewind the mechanism as many times as need be between two successive high tide stages.

It is the distinctive function of the valved well to prevent interference by the exterior body of water with the normal operation of the counterbalancing bucket, while the bucket, through its" control of the filling valve and of the discharge valve, operates to wind the signal mechanism as often as it approaches its limit of operation.

hat I claim is:

1. In a self-winding fog-signaling apparatus, the combination with signalactuating mechanism, of a tidal filled reservoir located between high and low tide levels, a winding counterweight receptacle operatively connected with said signal actuating mechanism to be raised by the signaling mechanism when empty, and to rewind the latter when filled. said reservoir and said receptacle each being provided with outlet valves automat cally operated in alternation by the upward and the downward movements of the receptacle to control respectively the admission of liquid from the reservoir to the receptacle and discharge of liquid from the receptacle, substantially as described.

2. A self-winding fog signal embracing in combination signal-actuating mechanism, a tidal filled reservo r provided with a valved outlet, at valved well extending downwardly from said valved outlet, a valved receptacle movable up and down in said well and operatively connected with the signal mechanism to be raised when said s'gnal mechanism is normally actuated and when descending to rewind said mechanism,

said receptacle being coordinated with the aforesaid valves to open its own valve at the bottom part of its transverse and to open the reservo r outlet valve at the top of its upward traverse, thereby alternately receiving and discharging a counter-balancing body of liquid, substantially as described.

In a self-winding fog signal, the combination of a reservoir located to be filled at high tide, a downwardly extending well having valve-controlled communication with said reservoir and having near its bottom a discharge opening valve-d to prevent the admission of water from the outside and a valved counterweight receptacle operatively connected with the signal mechanism and acting, through its control of its own valve and of the valve-controlling communication with said reservoir to alternately rewind the signal and allow itself to be restored to rewinding position, substantially as described.

4. The combination with signal-actuating mechanism, a tidal filled reservoir provided with a bucketfilling discharge valve, a bucket arranged to travel up and down beneath said. discharge valve and having a discharge valve in its bottom, said valves being provided with elongated stems acted upon respectively by the bucket and by an arresting obstruct on beneath the bucket to permit substantial traverse of the respective alves after they are opened in order to prolong the respective bucket filling and bucket discharging periods, said bucket being operat'ively connected with the signal-actuating mechanism to rewind the same while the bucket descends and a valve inclosing well in which said bucket travels, substantially as described.

5. A tidal operated rewinding mechanism for a signaling device embracing a reservoir located below high tide level, a well extending downwardly therefrom to a point above low tide level, and having a d scharge outlet at its bottom, a tidal float arranged to close said outlet at a n'edetermined level of the tide, a counterweight bucket suspended in said well from a signal windng cable and arranged to automatically receive a counter-balancing supply of water from the reservoir at the top of its traverse, and to d scharge said liquid at the bottom of its traverse whereby the filled bucket descending actuates the winding cable, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a tide filled reservoir located below h gh water level, a communicating well extending downwardly therefrom and closed against admission of the surrounding water, said well being provided with a valve-controlled d scharge outlet above low water level, and a self-filling and self-discharging bucket suspended to move up and down in said well to receive water from said reservoir at the top of its traverse and to discharge the same at the bottom of its traverse, and having operative connection with a signal-actuating mechanism to rewind the same when the filled bucket is descending, substantially as described.

7. The combination of a tide filled reservoir located below high water level, a com Inunicating well extending downwardly therefrom and closed against admission of the surrounding water, said well being provided with a vent above high water level, andavalve-controlled discharge outlet above low water-level, and a self-filling and self discharging bucket suspended to move up and down in said well to receive a supply of Water from the reservoir and to discharge it in alternation, and having operative connection with a signal actuating mechanism to rewind the same when the filled bucket is descending, substantially as described.

8. In a self-winding fog signal, the combination of a reversible weight-actuated drum having oppositely wound cables secured thereto, a signal-actuating weight secured to one cable, a counterweight bucket secured to the other cable, a tidal reservoir combined with a bucket well and automati cally controlled valves by the action of which the bucket is peri'nitted to be filled and discharged, thereby-causing the respec tive cables to wind and unwind in alternation and cause alternate operation of the signal and rewinding of its actuating mechanism, substantially as described.

In witness whereof, I have subscribed the above specification.

MALCOLM F. VVILLOUGHBY. 

